Fuel Filter for a 2-Cycle?

[Oil Changer]

I'm fixin' up a 2-cycle MTD snowblower a neighbor gave me.

Since there is plenty of room, I thought I'd throw a FF beween the tank and carb.

Then I started thinking that the filter may in someway "filter" the oil.

My 2-cycle chainsaw, leaf blower, and trimmer all have screen type filters to get the big stuff but I was thinking a regular pleated paper type.

Opinions?

 

[mrsilv04]

I think you're limited to a screen-type filter. You have to have some sort of a fuel pump for a paper filter.

 

[Donald]

Both my chain saw and weed whacker (2 cycle) have a compressed wad of cloth I think.

Have you looked in the fuel tank at the end of the fuel line for a filter?

Oil and gas are in solution, no normal filter will be able to separate the oil from the gas. I would go with a normal media filter.

Are we talking gravity feed tank to carb?

 

[Chris142]

I've ran paper filters on my 2 and 4 stroke dirtbikes and quads since forever. Never had a problem with flow or filtering out oil.

 

[Oil Changer]

Gravity feed, no pump or shut-off valve.

No filter of any kind and I got the machine in a whole bunch of pieces right now. It was given to me in a non-running condition. Dirt in the carb was part of the problem.

My idea was to simply splice in a pleated paper type filter between the tank and carb. I would put the filter vertical and immediately below the tank leaving at least an 18" run to the carb.

I then started to think that the paper media would absorb the oil in the pre-mix and lean the mixture out.

 

[boraticus]

The paper won't absorb the oil. It's mixed with the fuel. Can't happen.

 

[greenaccord02]

Gravity is perfectly fine for a paper filter. I use them on everything. Much better filtration than screen.

 

[boraticus]

For those questioning the use of paper element filter with two cycle fuel. Mix up some fuel and oil. Confirm the colour of the mixture. Run said mixture through filter. Observe colour as it comes out the other end. If it's the same, you're good to go.

Unless, of course, just the dye is getting past the the filter???

Not likely.

 

[dwendt44]

Any small fuel filter should work. I found that Briggs & Straton has a 'paper' media filter for their lawn tractor engines; I works well and isn't that expensive (surprise). They also have a 'shut off' valve; you may have to go to a small engine dealer for that one. I find a shut-off useful. I shut the fuel off and run the engine dry (after adding Stabil).

 

[car54]

trust me, a paper fuel filter will not be able to filter oil out of fuel. You'll be fine using a small inline filter, I add one to everything I repair that doesn't have one to begin with.

 

[dwendt44]

Many auto fuel filters are cheaper that one just for a lawn tractor or other small engines.

You likely have 1/4" fuel line so any auto filter that has that size nipple on it would fit and likely last forever.

 

[callbay]

We use paper fuel filters on everything 2 cycle we can fit one in and have never had any trouble. We keep a couple of univeral sized ones around to add to machines we work on with no filter. Same for 4 cycles.